The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-12-27
MAJOR GENTRY'S FARM.
As Seen by a Stranger Who
Was in PettiS County Ia
king a Look.
His Numerous Herds and Broad
Acres Given an Airing by
q ST. Louis Paper.

| Colmsn's Rural World.
Perhaps one of the best of the rep.
resentative farmers of Missouri is
Major VIM. Gentry of Sedalia. He
is as we'll representative man. a man
of mark in any community; of great
general intelligence, large practical
experience, and endowed by nature
with qualities which fit him to under
take and successfully compass an
manage great enterprises. lie is APP.
preaching seventy years of age, but is
as stout and as ready for work SIS
many men at fifty. If we mis- axe not,
he is native Missouri,n, but if not
native, yet life long resident of the
state. He has filled many important
Offices during his life, and is now
presiding judge of the county court IF
Pettis county, and president of the
state board of health.
Major Gentry owns about seven
thousand acres of as good rolling prai-
RE and timbered land in Pettis county
as can be found in the state, and it is
none of it allowed to be idle. Mucn
of it is 10 meadow, much in pasture,
some cultivated i'm corn, wheat, oats.
clover and other crops. But little of
his produce leaves the farm in lis or
iginal form, but is utilized for feeding
large quantities of cattle for beef, for
hogs. herses and sheep. His beeves
are generally taken to Chicago by
himself and usually in such . condi-
ton as TO command the top of the
market; for with an abundance of
hay, corn, oats, etc., every animal
has an abundance.
HIS SHEEP AND WOOL.
Many years ago he owned large
fiocks of grade and Merino ewes and
bred them to Cotswold rams with
view to increasing the size of the car
cass without materially depreciating
the value of the fleece. In this he
succeeded go well that he has followed
it until the present time and thinks
that few fiocks of 900 sheep are to
be found in the state which will pro-
duce more desirable quality of wool
or sell for as much money either by
the fleece or pound. 1t is indeed
very fine flock of large bodied sheep
bearing marked evidence of the Cots
void cross and capable of being made
hog fat in sixty days, and made ready
for the market at any time.
HIS soUTHDowN FLoCKs.
On his farm at Hughesville few
miles from the home farm he has a
flock of very superior SOuthdowns.
Their quality and style is superior
and he sets very high estimate on
them for hardness, docility, thrift and
fertility.
HIS FEEDERS.
One great point with him is to feed
his cattle old and young all they can
eat. They have corn furnished them
daily that has been chopped in a mill
with the husk and cob and by night |
this is generally eaten up clean. They |
have within reach an abundance of |
hay and the young things finely cured |
clover hay. For all of his stock he |
has an abundance ofwater from wells,
ponds and streams. One well, over
which stood windmill. which had been
drilled to 325 feet deep and the water
was as pure and soft as could be de-
sired. OF course where there are so
many corn fed cattle there are large
numbers of hogs. some of the Berk-
shire and others of the Poland China
breeds.
HIS sHORTHORNs.
Major Gentry loves fine stock of
Ill kinds and loves it good, the very
pest indeed. He has herd of about
% head of ShOrthorn cattle and at
heir head the imported Cruickshank
,ull, Oxonian 1921 bred by s. Camp
,ell of Scotland whose herd is very
ieep in the Cruickshank blood. For
teer purposes he has not only Short
lorn but Hereford, Angus and Gal
oway bulls, and their calves, could
hardly be distinguished from thor
'ughbreds though out of graded cows.
t is from such farms and feeders the
'est beef is secured for export purpo-
es as well as for the best home mar
tets.
HIS TROTTING HORSES.